While this clip doesn’t quite match Peter Laviolette standing on the bench screaming at the Pittsburgh Penguins, it will probably be the most talked-about moment of Game 4 between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils. Anyone who thought that talk of increasing hatred was just hot air was silenced tonight as John Tortorella went out of his way to yell at rival head coach Peter DeBoer after the two teams engaged in a wild scrum:

The playoff beard is a hockey tradition and hockey has always attracted eccentric personalities. If you want the guys on your team to look and act like the stereotypical clean cut smiling jock with no opinions on anything then go watch NFL/MLB/NBA games.

I have to agree, beards and eccentric personalities are great in hockey. I’m a devils fan but I’m wildly amused by guys like tortorella and laviolette and don cherry. Remember when Robbie ftorek was throwing benches on the ice? When that minor league coach stripped and threw his clothes on the ice? And you think torts is bad?

I couldn’t have said it better myself! They should put a fine meter on his tongue and it should just rack up fines every time he opens his mouth. The team and its fans feed off his bad attitude. I remember when he was thrown out of a critical game against Washington a couple of seasons ago. Hopefully the Devils will wipe that arrogant grin off his face this year and send him back to the gutter where he belongs.

Say what you want about Tortorella, sometimes I get frustrated at how he acts too. (honestly he hates the league, so that’s probably why) anyways…. How does this team lack class..? They have heart and are a young team that should be solid for years. One of the best goalies in the league/world. So explain to me how they lack class. First place in EC and making to the eastern conference has to mean something. Plus how does the fans lack class lol? Because we stick up for the team we love just like everyone else..? Shut your mouth idiot.

jasol20 - May 21, 2012 at 11:42 PM

If you’re going to cite examples of why a team does not lack class, you should probably provide examples that actually have to do with class. Having “heart”, a “young team”, one of the “best goalies” and making it to the ECF does not have anything to do with class. Tortorella giving a short press conference after a bad loss to make a point makes sense, but turning it into “his thing” is stupid. It’s just detracting from the sport at this point. Those press conferences are there for a reason – to give fans/media some insight that they’re interested in. They’re also mandatory for that reason, and he’s classless for making a mockery of it. That would be just one example….

knowsfirsthand - May 21, 2012 at 11:22 PM

It’s about time we finally have someone in professional sports who doesn’t sugar coat his feelings. He’s taken his team to the playoffs yet again and the whiny Devils fans jump down his throat. How many Devils fans supported the team during the season? Band wagon has left the building.

This embarrassing loss will only fuel the Blue Crew on Wednesday night.

vindicatus - May 21, 2012 at 11:24 PM

The childish, petulant actions by the Rangers players on the ice, and by their coach during and after the game, are the definition of classless.

There are certainly Rangers fans who are decent people, but the vocal, bandwagoning, “uncle daddy” chanting minority give the fan base a black eye. They are classless. Sorry if the truth hurts your feelings.

kovalchuk spearing callahan in the stomach isnt a “childish, petulant” action? 9/10 thats a 5 minute major. Before you go on a rant about how callahan pushed him a little, to quote pierre mcguire” theyre giving callahan a penalty for that? really?” you cant just start spearing players.

Yes I saw that they had to mute it out for the general viewing public (not that most of us can See what they are saying). However, 2 guys from the 2 networks broadcasting the game does not the media make;besides, I was mostly taking a jab at the Amount of words that came out of Torts in the argument versus the short, terse statements he gives to the general media during the press conferences after the game.

Lol @vindictas .. Did u hear your dumb fans chanting Marty’s better and hey you suck after they score a goal, that’s real creative .. What’s your team gonna do when fatso retires seeing that your backup is also about 40 years old

Yeah because Brodeur has had way better teams in front of him over his career than Lundqvist has. And the only reason New Jersey won those Cups was because they played the boring trap which pretty much ruined the game of hockey. Any half decent goalie would have won Cups on those boring New Jersey teams. They were a disgrace to the NHL. Could you imagine the high flying Oilers back in the 80’s playing that boring brand of hockey? Didn’t think so.

jsutan - May 22, 2012 at 10:40 AM

It’s ironic because people are saying the same thing about the Rangers’ shot-blocking style.

jsutan- I’ll take shot blocking any day over “whoever gets the lucky bounce for a breakaway and scores the one and only goal of the game because there is nothing but interference going on in the neutral zone” any day of the week! Ten years of Devils Trap Crap turned the league into sheer boredom! Obviously, based on the TV ratings, more people agree with my thoughts than yours.

jsutan - May 22, 2012 at 12:02 PM

I was simply pointing out the irony in calling out Brodeur’s success because of the style of play of the team and players in front of him. Not to diminish from Lundqvists play when he’s had to make a save, but right now he’s successful for exactly the same reasons Brodeur was successful — the players in front of him

– Lundqvist has a solid team in front of him that blocks a large percentage of incoming shots (including blocks from forwards)
vs.
– Brodeur had a solid team in front of him that blocked a large percentage of incoming offensive pressure (including trap pressure from forwards)

Jersey just rings of class gimme a break. I dont like Rupp or the Rangers but when your losing the game it’s not a bad move to do something to piss off the other team so maybe they get distracted and focused on getting revenge then continue to dominate you wether for that or the next game. Devils fans are a joke as evidenced by the 3 ( might be generous) fans that regularly comment and their weak ass support.

If you could read at all you would have seen that I am not a rangers fan. Maybe you should replace the lighbulb in your moms basement so you can see comments clearer If support is so intense why can i get a ticket day of a playoff game no problem and for less than half of what I would have to pay in Philly? Why do I not see any fans in south jersey, even central jersey or is your border different than everyone elses

Devils fans are a real piece of work. I love when they say that the Rangers team/fanbase “lacks class”. Your fans threw garbage on the ice when the Panthers scored in the first round. Your goalie refuses to shake hands with players he doesn’t like during the ceremonial handshake. Marty said in an interview last week that he didn’t like Manhattan. Who cares? I don’t see Rangers players talking about how much of a crime infested dump Newark is. Lets face it, the majority of Devils fans are very casual fair weather fans who know little about hockey and just simply want to back the Jersey team, which is fine, but don’t come in here and act like you’re an authority on NHL rules/history because you can repeat the same Brodeur stats from ’97 over and over again.

As far as the Tortorella dispute goes…..The guy gets criticized over ever thing he does. If he does a short interview he’s “misrepresenting the sport”. If he comes out and says his true feelings about a cheap shot or bad call he’s a “whiner”. The guy is passionate about his job and tells it like it is. I cant stand the PC crowd trying to regulate hockey. If you want to watch a nicey nice sport with players that don’t show any personality then go watch a Yankees game.

Hearing fans from North Jersey and New York City calling each other classless is like two kids with down syndrome calling each other retards.

Let the thumbs down commence

cspsrbums - May 22, 2012 at 7:38 AM

Torts is a Bi..h and doe t belong in the game he makes a mockery out of it. He whines one night about The devils breathing the rules and then he team acts the way they did and it’s ok classless. Hope the devils knock him out of the playoffs so we don’t have to watch him put himself in the limelight anymore. I like their team but he needs to go

dallasstars9 - May 22, 2012 at 11:51 AM

Tortorella is passionate like a hockey coach should be and animated to provide some entertainment both on and off the bench. Every negative comment on here is from people who don’t like the Rangers and are just pissed because they’re team isn’t two wins away from the finals.

Tortorella is *almost* as much of a bush-league hack as his # 1 goon, Rupp.
I hate both of these teams…but now the rest of the country hates the Rangers too.
And by the way…there is a reason you do NOT pull bush-league crap like this in the playoffs…Rupp just completely pissed-off a Hall-of-Fame goalie who just happens to be the hottest goalie in the playoffs right now.
Good luck getting to the finals…next year, ’cause the Rangers are DONE this year thanks to Rupp.

Why does this all look like something staged? Like something you see on Jerry Springer? Series is still a joke and that’s why ratings are down. Maybe a little Springer will give game 5 more hype. Well NHL wanted crap hockey, you got it lol